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Tuesday, June 26, 2007

Bakies Day

Why are cookies called cookies when you don’t cook them? (You bake them…)

Why indeed?

And that’s how Bakies Day started. One logical question, one clever young girl, and two best friends. I've already mentioned my best friend K and her witty daughter Z (my godchild!) before. The three of us decided to dedicate a day to these yummy treats we now like to refer to as bakies. It’s also a time when we get to hang together in the kitchen, have Z sharpen her baking skills (watch out Mrs. Fields!), pig out on bakies, and just be girls together.

We got together just this Saturday at my place for a two-types-of-bakies marathon. We have been using our old, beat up copy of the Mrs. Fields Cookie Book, which was given to me when I was a kid myself. The whole book is dusty with flour, stained with butter marks and cocoa splodges, and sugar crystals are permanently lodged between its pages. I know there are loads of chocolate chip cookie recipes out there, each claiming to be the “best” or the “ultimate”, but her Blue Ribbon Chocolate Chip Cookies have never failed me. Plus they are easy to whip up and great to do with kids.

The second batch we made is a favorite of all three of us – Jessica’s Marshmallow Clouds. I still remember the first time I made these when I was a kid, and discovered what happens when marshmallows are baked inside a chocolate cookie. Let’s just say it was one of those childhood breakthrough food moments. The cookie (bakie!) itself is chocolate with chocolate chips, the dough wrapped around a bunch of mini marshmallows. As the cookie (bakie!) bakes, the marshmallows melt inside, creating a gooey sweet center. It is so good…and incredibly sticky! Once the melted marshmallow escapes and gets on your hands it’s like Peter Parker discovering his web…strings of white everywhere…disconcerting but also thrilling! Plus, unlike Spidey’s, you can actually eat this web :)

We start by assembling all our ingredients together and then plunging head on, laughing and doing our best with my limited amount of bowls and counter space. Z measures out the flour and sugar, and mixes everything in a big glass bowl. We watch my KitchenAid (a wedding gift from K) deftly cream butter and sugar. I take pictures while K and Z assume crazy poses. We are surrounded by the sweet smell of bakies baking, which we try to blow into all corners of my flat. While the bakies are cooling on wire racks, I brew some coffee for K and I. Finally we all sit down and get to the important task of taste-testing our bakies. They are delicious, and we can pat each other on the back for a job well done, happily chewing and chatting the afternoon away.And as far as afternoons go, this is one of my favorite ways to spend one! Thanks K and Z for another great Bakies Day! :)

If you are interested in any of the two recipes mentioned, please email me (my email address is in the sidebar) and I’ll be happy to share :)

trinigourmet beat me to it! As you can tell, I love baking. Cookies are always requested (but the challenge just isn't there anymore!). Do you think if I got married now I could get a KitchenAid? (I think I hear my future wife shooting herself...)

Your cookbook sounds ancient, but I've always thought Mrs. Fields was a relatively young woman. Must be their "mascot."--No Special Effects

Hi Trinigourmet! Thanks for the info...I'll pass this along to K & Z :) I know Z will definitely get a kick out of that :)

Hi Pille! That is so interesting! Gosh, I had no idea of all the different etymologies of "cookie" :) Nice to know!

Hi Manggy! If you married now you can get the KitchenAid and the ice cream maker attachment that is now available here (Rustans)! Haha :) I think Mrs. Field's is relatively young...the cookbook is not that old, I got it when I was a kid...which was not exactly ancient times ;) but we certainly have worn it down enough :)

Hi Melting Wok! You can have all you want :) Nope, hehe, that is my godchild Z :)

If you married now you can get the KitchenAid and the ice cream maker attachment that is now available here (Rustans)!Oh, I know! But it's about 7000 plus 25000 for the mixer! Whereas if a balikbayan comes back with my $120 Cuisinart I'll be happy! Hey, there's a great use for cookie dough! (*belt explodes*)

Hi! This is my first visit to your blog I think wouldyoubelieve! I always thought you were a foreigner hahaha! Somehow 80breakfasts has a first world tone to it. I only found out that you are Manila based after meeting Anton at an event a couple of weeks back and discussing blogging with him. Now that I'm here ... I love it! You take amazing pictures and I love your stories. I'm a cookie-holic myself, always bugging my sister to bake some for me. And I have my cousin Pixie, Pittsburgh-based, send me her brownies every now and then. I actually got into a car accident once because instead of paying attention to the road I was reaching for a cookie on the passenger seat. :-S

Hi Patricia! Thank you! :) We did have loads of fun and I look forward to these days very much :)

Hahaha! You are too funny Manggy! I wonder which will go first...the belt or the wallet? I often wonder that of my own belt and wallet, heeheehee :) And yes, excellent use for cookie dough!

Hi Amanda! Don't you worry, I'll be sending you the recipes soonest! :)

Hi Margauxlicious! Hahaha! I am a proud Pinay :) So glad and flattered that you enjoyed the photos and posts! I think no one will argue your title as cookie-lover...maybe you should have one of those signs on your car that say: "Caution - cookies on board!"! :)

Hi Jen! Yes, we had a wonderful time :) And yes, it does sound "correct" and cute to boot :) Sure!

Hi Veron! Thanks! :) That's coz they were fresh from the oven...heehee :)

Thanks Cooking Ninja! Hope the keyboard's ok now ;)

Hi Ginny! I agree about quality time...it's these memories that are so important, and what we will all be happy we have when we are old and grey and perhaps have no more teeth! :) I'll send you the recipe!